About Jos Buurmans

I am a passionate landscape photographer, proudly calling Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, my home for over 15 years.  For me, landscape photography is more than a craft—it’s a harmonious blend of exploration, creativity, technology, and connection that brings a profound sense of well-being. Whether it’s traversing winding trails, chasing the perfect light, or simply immersing myself in the natural world, photography offers endless opportunities for discovery, inspiration, and reflection.

My work extends beyond capturing the stunning landscapes of Hawke’s Bay and New Zealand.  I find fulfilment in sharing my knowledge, helping others develop both the technical skills and creative vision needed to bring their photographic aspirations to life. Through my images and teaching, I strive to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the art of photography, inspire a lasting connection with nature, and encourage stewardship for the beauty of our planet.

After several decades of being a part-time photographer, I became a full-time landscape photographer in 2023 to further explore and enjoy the outdoors, add more photos to my portfolio of images, and pass on the joy of photography and my skills to others by running workshops and offering private photography tuition services.

Picture the Natural Landscape in a Positive Light

I love spending time in and experiencing the beauty of nature.  Looking down on a winding river through a misty valley, seeing the sun come up from a mountain top, or witnessing the reflection of colourful trees in a lake on a windless day, is food for the soul.  There is a sense of awe, calm, optimism, hope and harmony with nature, and it is these feelings that I aim to evoke in my photography. 

Apart from light, I seek two elements in particular: atmosphere and order. Atmospheric conditions like fog can transform an everyday scene into something mysterious or intriguing, adding a sense of wonder to a photo. Being an IT architect by trade, I naturally seek order and like to draw attention to nature’s structure.  Many of my photos highlight natural arrangements and geometry such as mathematical shapes, symmetry, and repeating patterns. 

New Zealand as my Home Base

Most of my photos feature the New Zealand landscape, and Hawke’s Bay in particular, where I live.  Born in the Netherlands, I immigrated to New Zealand when I was in my mid-twenties, and I have travelled this beautiful and awe-inspiring country extensively since then. I fell in love with New Zealand’s variety: snow-covered volcanoes and mountains, rough coastlines, peaceful forests, twisting rivers and idyllic beaches.  That, in combination with warm subtropical climates in the north and cool temperate climates in the far south, makes New Zealand a paradise for landscape photographers.

New Zealand’s diverse landscapes have enabled me to grow as a photographer, not only technically, but also creatively. It also enabled me to find my photography vision. Although I still point and shoot my camera when I see a landscape I like, I have discovered that I particularly love atmospheric conditions, order and intent, and I don’t mind waiting (or re-visiting a location) until the conditions are right. I really enjoy getting to know a place well, to understand its essence, and translate that into an image that is captivating and intentional - it’s about creating images that evoke emotions, tell stories, and engage the viewer with the environment.

As a landscape photographer, I feel incredibly privileged to call New Zealand my home. It has created a sense of connection between me and the natural world that has cultivated appreciation and protection of the environment that I’d like to pass on to others through my images whether you see them on a screen or as a print.

Having said that, I explore the rest of the world when I can.

Treasure the Human Connection

My photographs are very personal to me, and they tell the story about my connection to this world, not only of the scene in front of the camera, but also of the person behind the camera.

I aim to create a sense of connection between people and the natural world that inspires appreciation and protection of the environment, and that cultivates a deeper curiosity about the world around us.

I also like to pass on the joy I receive from photography to others and generously share my photography journey, stories and skills.

Stay in Touch

I regularly add something new to this website, whether it's a new portfolio photo, new items for sale, a new story, or a technical photography article. I tend to publish a photo to my social media channels once a week, and I’d love to hear from you!

I just finished an insightful article about photographing Northland, New Zealand. This visual journey follows Northland’s Twin Coast Discovery Highway, taking you through the Kauri Coast to the Far North, before returning via the Bay of Island
Star in the Park - Havelock North, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. I captured this image on a recent walk to the summit of Te Mata Peak, carefully timing my visit to coincide with the setting sun. I was fortunate to photograph the sun just as it dipped be
Goat Track Sunrise - Te Mata Park, Hawke's Bay. I came across this magical sight earlier this week when I was walking the goat track in Te Mata Park.
Sweeping Glow - Waimārama Beach, Hawke's Bay.
Emerging Light - Waimārama Beach, Hawke's Bay. Earlier this week, I witnessed the sunrise at Waimārama Beach. The early morning sea fog lingered along the horizon, softening the landscape as the sun rose, casting a red glow across the sky. The sun&r
Stream towards the Beams - Kairakau Beach, Hawke's Bay. These rocks caught my eye while walking along Kairakau Beach, Hawke's Bay looking for an interesting composition to shoot the rising sun. Clouds were rolling in, and I couldn't believe my luck
Wave at Ben Ohau - Canterbury, NZ. The rhythmic motion of Lake Ōhau’s waves spills over dark, weathered rocks, their surfaces glistening under the cool, blue light of the water. In the distance, the snow-capped peak of Ben Ohau rises majestica
Whangaroa Harbour to Ocean - Northland, NZ (2024). A view from St Paul's Rock at sunrise over a misty Whangaroa Harbour toward the horizon where the inlet merges with the Pacific Ocean.
Remembering Cyclone Gabrielle. On February 13 and 14 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle lashed Hawke's Bay with gale-force winds, a large easterly swell and record rainfall causing rivers to burst their banks, having a devastating impact on the region. Two yea
Land against Fog - Hawke's Bay One of my favourite images. Now on display at my exhibition - the Magic of Fog and Light - at Creative Arts Napier until the 13th February 2025.

My photography journey

The short story

Born in the Netherlands, I started taking and developing photos in my teens. I even had my own darkroom at home.  I switched to digital after I moved to New Zealand but significantly reduced time for photography due to family and work commitments.  Now that the kids have grown up, I am able to dedicate more time to expanding my photography experience and developing my personal style.  I aim to combine my love for nature and photography to capture beautiful scenery, develop my photos in lightroom, and share them with people who care.

The long story

  • I took my first photo when I was a teenager growing up in the Netherlands. My interest in photography was triggered by my dad who had a camera and would often take photos of the family when we were away on holiday. I remember evenings when our family would sit around the projector viewing his slides on the big screen. My dad had also built a darkroom in our attic that he had used in the past when he was doing black and white photography. I bought a camera, an Olympus OM-1, and started taking photos in black and white and learned how to develop them myself. I was fascinated by the process of capturing a real-life scene and making it appear on paper.

    My friend and I would go out after school or in the weekends to take photos in our neighbourhood. I still remember when we went into a paddock to take photos that ruined my newly bought bright blue shoes (it was the colourful eighties), because I was absorbed by the experience and stepped into several cowpats while searching for the right spot.

    I remember visiting an open day at a photography school in The Hague as the next step after high school but decided against enrolling. I think one of the reasons was the drawings I saw there; I wasn’t very good at arty stuff. I wasn’t ready to enter the world of artists or aggressive current affairs photographers.

  • I have always been interested in the world beyond my immediate surroundings and travelled to Kenya in my early twenties to see and capture the landscape, wildlife, and people. At that point, I decided to switch to photographing in colour as I felt that would enable me to capture the environment more fully. It was a great experience and I started to plan for more trips to explore other parts of the world, mostly looking for exciting landscapes rather than the manmade environment. But then my world changed.

  • In my mid-twenties, I fell in love with a New Zealander and immigrated to New Zealand. New Zealand is a paradise for landscape photography, and we travelled the country often, but a young family and work commitments meant that I spent less and less time on landscape photography during the first 10 years. I have lots of photos of our children though!

  • In 2005, I switched to a digital SLR, a Canon EOS 20D, to revitalise my photography hobby. Apart from having a better camera, I was also looking forward to using software to process the photos, as I have always been interested in computers (I am an IT professional). Enter Lightroom and Photoshop. I also acquired a photo printer so now I had much more control over the end result, and also had much more to learn. The motivation to make photographs returned.

  • So here I was in beautiful New Zealand with the desire to photograph, and out into the landscape I went. I discovered that the reasons why photography excited me as a teenager were still applicable. These reasons were and still are:

    • I love spending time in and experiencing the beauty of nature. I do not get tired of admiring the landscape and photography is a driver to get out there.

    • It frees my mind. I forget time when photographing and I am completely absorbed by what I see through the viewfinder.

    • I enjoy learning new skills to improve my photography, learning about nature and new locations, and learning more about myself.

    • I get a kick out of capturing that ‘perfect’ moment in time and seeing it on the screen and, eventually, on paper.

    • I enjoy sharing the world ‘through my eyes’ with people who take an interest.

    However, I have noticed some changes since my first exposure. My approach to photography has gradually changed from a secondary purpose to a primary purpose. So, instead of taking photos during the day to coincide with family activities, I go out around sunrise and sunset to take photos when there’s good quality light. Instead of taking photos to record the places I have been to, now I travel to places that I want to capture with a vision in mind.

    In addition, like many people, I am becoming increasingly concerned about the impact we have on our environment; urbanisation, deforestation, pollution, climate change, etc. are changing the world into a less beautiful place. I want to capture the beauty of the world, and New Zealand in particular, and hopefully inspire more people to care about the environment.

    So, instead of taking snapshots, I am learning more about techniques, composition, and colour theory to take and create more interesting and pleasing photos that I am proud of and want to share with a wider audience.

    While on the journey, I also upgraded from using consumer-grade equipment to semi-professional equipment, but I don’t think that has made a huge difference (apart from creating that short burst of motivation and inspiration when you receive that new piece of equipment or software).

  • With the rise of the Internet and social media, it has become a lot easier to find new places you want to go, plan your trips and shots, and see potential compositions. It also means that, in many cases, you’re not the first to take that photo, so why bother? See the bullet points above about why I bother.

    So, I’ll continue to take photos, of unexplored places and places where thousands of photographers have been before me.

    I do not believe that I will ever tire of exploring and finding beauty in the landscape. Even though the location may be the same, the landscape or the way I want to express it, never are.

    For me, photography is what I love to do; it’s an essential passion.

Some other questions you may have

  • I currently use a Canon EOS R5 with the following lenses:

    • Canon RF15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM

    • Canon RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM

    • Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

    I use LEE and Kase Filters, including a polarising filter and several neutral density filters. I do not use graduated filters, and prefer to blend exposures as part of my post-processing workflow.

    I process my photos in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

  • I shoot digital in raw format and use editing software, including Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to further develop an image while keeping the result relatively true to nature.  Post-processing (photo editing) is an essential step of my photography workflow to create a certain mood and bring the captured scene back to life.

    Sometimes I blend multiple exposures to achieve the best result.  This includes exposure stacking when the contrast of a scene is too high for my camera to capture in a single shot or when I want to combine different shutter speeds in a single image, and focus stacking for optimal sharpness throughout the image.

    Enhancements I make to an image usually involve brightening and darkening of selective areas (dodging and burning), adding or removing texture and balancing colours.  Also, I don’t mind removing small distractions in an image.  I do this to create a pleasing image that conveys my intent.

    My images are actual depictions of real-world moments, and I do not use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate (part of) my images.  However, I do use AI as part of my workflow to assist with masking, noise removal, etc.

  • There are quite a few. In fact, I have written an article for Hawke’s Bay Tourism that covers the 8 most accessible photo location in New Zealand that you can find here.

    I also run photography workshops in Hawke's Bay that will take you to top sites. Have a look here if you're interested.

    Contact me and maybe we can organise a shoot together.